Lock for automobiles



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LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.28, I92I.

Patented Mar. 7, 192.2.

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R. DOWNING.

LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLlcAnoN man JAN.2B.1921.

Patented' Mar. 7, 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ROSWELL DOWNING, OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA.

Look ron AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent. i 'Patented D131'. 7, 1922.

Application led'anuary 28, 1921. Serial No. 440,563.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoswnLL DcwNiN@ a citizen of the United` States,residing at Oklahoma city, in the county of Oklahoma and State ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks forAutomobiles, of which Ythe following is a specification. referencebeinghad to the accompanying drawings. Y

The obje-ct of the invention is to provide a convenient and effectivelock for antonio biles. v

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a f'ragmental plan view of thefront end of an automobile on which the improved lock is in use.

Figure 2 is a similar view of a principal portion of the lock, with theupperv wall oi the housing broken awa-y to expose innei parts to view.

Figure 3 is an elevation View of the lock in the direction ofthe arrow 3of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is is a. fragi'nental reproductionoi Figure 3 on larger scale,with some of' the. parts omitted and a portion of the rear wal] of thehousing broken away.

Figure 5 is a right-hand end elevation of the housing shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view in the same direction as Figure 4 and onstill largerscale, showing a locking-plunger.

' Figure 7 is a perspective view showing an optional construction ofcertain parts.

Figure 3 is a fragmenta-l reproduction of the central portion of Figure2. with certain springs omitted and with a key-controlled lockingmechanism in unlocked position.

Like character of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

The automobile shown in this instance includes the front axlev 10; theknuckles 11 which are pivoted to the ends of said axle by the verticalpivot-pins 12 ;Vthe ground wheels 13 which are pivoted to the knucklesin the usual manner; the side rails 14 of the framework; the supportingbrackets 15 which are bolted vto thel front ends of said rails; and thehollow bumper-bar 16 which is supported by said brackets; these partsbeing in general use on automobiles.

In carrying out the object stated, a chain 17 is housed in each end ofthel bumper-bar 16 in position to be drawn out through an opening 18 inthe end wall 19 of said bumperbar and be passed through the adjacentwheel 13.

In order that the innermost end of each cha-in 17 shall remainApositively engaged with the bumper-bar 16, said end has a short rodconnection 20 attached toit, and this connection is provided with anenlargement 21 which will not pass out through the opening 18.

The outer end of each chain 17 is provided with a locking terminal 22which, after the chain has been passed through the wheel '13.

is inserted in an opening 24C in the rear wall 25 of the bumper-bar 16and locked in said opening by means later described.

In further arrangement, a locking-barrel 26, well-known in the art oflocks. is fitted revolubly in a bea-ring727 at the center of thebumper-bar 16 in its front wall 28.

This locking-barrel 2.6 is locked against revolving .movement in itsbearing 27 by the well known pin-and-tuinbler mechanism. and maybeunlocked and revolved by the usual key 29.

The inner end of the locking-barrel is provided with or formed into acrank-wheel 30, and locking-plungers 31 are pivoted to said crank-wheelat two diametrically opposite points.

At each of the two openings 211 the bumper-bar '16' is provided inwardlywith two cross-walls 32 and 33 of said opening.

Each locking-plunger 31. in extending from the` crank-wheel 30,' passessli'dably through the first cross-wall 32 as a guiding bearing andextends just to the other crosswall 33 as best shown in Figure 4.

The cross-walls 32 may be provided with tubular extensions 34 so thatthe lockingplungers 31 cannot accidentally withdraw from them and dropout of alinement.

As best shown in Figure 6, each locking.

plunger 31 is composed of two sections 35 and 36, the section 36telescoping the enlarged tubular end portion 37 of the section 35.

The tubular portion 37 of the section 35 contains a compression spring38 which acts yieldably to force the section 36 outward and increase thelength of the locking-plunger as a whole.

A pin 39 passes tightly through the section 36 and through alongitudinal slot 40 in the tubular portion 37 of the section 35; andthis pin limits the lengthening movement of the sections by abutting theend of said slot.

one' on each side With the parts arranged in this way, thechisel-pointed tongue 23 of the terminal 22 of the chain 17 may be.inserted in the open ing 24 wit-hout unlocking the lockingbarrel 26;said tongue forcing a shortening movement of the locking-plunger 31 andentering said opening to where the section 36 of said locking-plungermay snap to locking position through its eye 23h under action of thespring 38.

To release the locking terminals 22, the locking-plungers 31 may bewithdrawn from said terminals b y revolving the lockingbarrel 26.

To draw each chain 17 back into the bumper-bar 16 when not in use, atension spring 41 is attached to the inner end of its rod connection 20,the opposite end of said spring being extended well toward the oppositeend of the bumper-bar and secured to the rear wall 25 thereof by a rivet42.

The locking terminal 22 of each chain 17 is provided with an enlargement43 to keep from being drawn into the bumper-bar 16 through the opening18; and in orderthat the pulling force of the springs 41 will not haveto be contended with while passing the chains through the Wheels 13 forlocking, the rod connection 2O of each chain is provided with a slightenlargement 44, this enlargement acting to prevent the pull of thesprings when the neck portion 45 of said connection is slipped into thenotch 46 in the edge of the opening 18.

The bumper-bar 16 is provided with a central opening 47 in its rear wall25, to allow access to inner parts, andthis opening is closed by aflanged cover 48.

This cover 48 is held in place by two rivets 49 which pass through itand forward through the front wall 28 of the bumper bar 16; the headsof' these rivets being countersunk enough so that they cannot be readilyremoved by portable tools.`

As shown in Figure 7, a section of cable 50 may be substituted for eachchain 17.

A cushion spring 51 of bar spring steel may be carried in front of andspaced from the bumper-bar 16, the ends of this spring being curvedrearward and inward as at 52 and secured-to the ends of the buniper-barby bolts.v v

An additional bow spring 54 may be secured to the center of the rearface of the spring 51 by rivets 55, the free ends 56 of this spring 54bearing against the front face of the bumper-bar 16.

This arrangement of the springs 51 and 54 provides a suitable cushion incase of collision and keeps the bumper-bar from being bent or having itscontained parts thrown out of Working alinement.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is InV an automobile lock, a hollow bumperbar havingan outlet opening, a flexible mem ber extending through said outletopening, yieldable 4means within the bumper-bar acting to draw theflexible inemberin through said outlet opening, a limiting stop carriedby the inner end ofthe flexible memberto keep it from being drawncompletely out through the outlet opening, a second stop carried by theouter end of the flexible member to keep it from being drawn completelyin through said opening, and a third stop carried by the flexible memberbetween the two 'first-named stops, the outlet opening having a notch atits edge adapted to receive that portion of the flexible member betweenthe irstnamed stop and the third stop and thereby prevent the flexiblemember from being drawn into the bumper-bar.

Witness my hand this 15th dayrof J anuary, 1921. f

RoswELLY DOWNING.

